Sound-reproducing apparatus



W. 0. C. ELLIS. SOUND REPRODUGING APPARATUS- APPLICATION FILED Dsc. 23, 1908.

attoznu vTo all 'whom fit may concern:

Arnnfr onirica.

WILLIS C. ELLIS, OF NEAR GREENFIELD, OHIO,

SOUND-REPRODUGING APPARATUS No. 918,803. Specification of LettersPatent. lPatented April 13, 1909.

Application l'ed December 23, 1908. Seal No. 4685-977.

Be it known that I, WILLIS O. C. ELLIS, a citizen of the United States, residing inthe county of'Fayette, near Greenfield, I-lighland county, and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Sound-Reproducing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification. This invention relatesto a sound-reproducing apparatus of that t e wherebyan undulatory current is transmitted `throu h a telephonie receiver by a sound record w ose undulatory surface acting on a' stylus varies the tension of the contactbetween two or more current conducting 'points or carbonv buttons similar` in some respects tothe apparatus disclosed in my pending applicationV Serial No. 413,711. e

The invention has for one of its objects to improve and simplify theconstruction' andv operation of apparatus of this character so as to be comparatively simple and linexpensive to manufacture, reliable and eihcient in use, and possessing superior transmittingqualities. l

Another object of the invention is they provision of a plurality of contact points or buttons some o which are movable with respect to one or more stationary contacts Aorbuttons, in combination' with means `for varying the tension or pressure ofthe con-` tact between the buttons whereby a ,current of varying iiow will be transmitted througha circuit containing a receiver or equipment device whereby the sounds that produce the original record will besubstantially repro duced at the said receiver in an eiiicient and highly practical manner.`

With these objects inl view and others, as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention comprises the various novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which willv be more fully described hereinafter and'set forth withparticularity in the claims appended hereto..

In the accompanying drawing,- which illustrates one embodiment ofthe invention, Figurel 1 is a sectional view of the sound refv` producing apparatus. Fig. 2 is as`ctione .l'`

view lon lili@ 2 2; Fig." 1. "Fig. 3 is'a grammatic view showing the sound-'tran mtting circuit.l f 1 Simllar reference characters are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout the views.-

its upperend at 2`for vref-:eivin'g a cap-shaped cover 3, which screws down upon a flange 4 on the said body.` The flange 4 is enlarged at one side into 'a lug which carries twobindand these binding `The sl'i'pport 11 has' an opening 13 in which is vsecured jaxed 4contact or carbon `button the central`butto11=- 14:. The buttons lland 1G are carried respectively by leafV springs porting member V11 4and s ecui'edfthereto at y that .the springs areinsulated from each other bythe snpp'ortin'g member and one "spring isrgrounded onthe s hl1'forbody-f1 of the'Y device by a shortspriiigI finger 2Q secured to .the vspring 1 7 by the scre w 19' therefor. vThe sprmg 18 is cqmeetedwthtthebindrrlgl post by a wireQl,"sothatjcurrent pass from thefbindng 'post v7 through the with the receiver-'""R shown.`

Y'17 andllS disposed parallel 4with the supone end'bjl screws 19. ItWi-.ll @hns be Segni' wire-.213 spring,18,contacts 16, 14 andf.15, springl?, spring finger 20, metallicsl1ell 1,I binding post 6, and thence throughthe trans'- mitting c rcuitto 'which-the-recejiver is connectedf4 The binding foste ofthe'apparatus arezdrec'tly connecte] or through an induction coil .I, as :shown Fig .f 3 there beingga battery or other source of current B inthe primary circuit, as

The tension orspressure of the Contact be, ,tween thelbuttons 14.15..;and`16 is regulated "by varying'the set ofthesprings 17-an d 18.

For coarseV regulatiomf separate adjusting Referring to the drawing, -1 designates the'v shell-likebody of the transmitter which vis preferably of annular lform and threadedat A ing posts-6 and 7,-'one of' which is electrically connected withthe' body 1 which is of metal, while the other isI insulated byf hard rubber Aorfothei' suitable insulationf'S posts are connected byfw wires 9 and 10w1ththe receiver circuit-of i l the apparatus.' 'j .Y 'z f Arranged within the body 1 is a diametric .ally-extending strip of insulation 11' which constitutes `a support for thein'ternal mecha anism of the device andthi's support is se cured atits ends to thel body 1 bysc'rews 12.- v

`l4fw'ithwhich cooperates at least tw coni tacts-ior carbon buttons 15 and 16 that bear respectively on' thetopfand bottom'l faces of ,screws 22 and 23.v are employed which have .slotted upper ends for receiving a screw driver and thesescrews areaccesslbleupon removal of the cap cover 3. The screws rotate freely in openings 24 of the supporting member 11 and are prevented from longitudinal movement in such member by nuts 25 that serve as collars on the screws,

and the screw 22 engages in a threaded opening 26 in the spring 17, whilethe screw 23 engages in a threaded opening 27 in the spring 18. Thus, by turning either screw- 1n one direction or the other, the spring in .which such screw is threaded will be moved to increase or decrease the pressure between the carbon buttons. The spring 17 has an opening 28 through which the screw 23 extends so that it can be reached by a screw hdriver. -For ne regulation of the pressure betweenthe buttons, an adjusting screw 29 is arranged on the free' end of the s ring surface of a record r or ofany suitable char act'er."4 By means of the adjusting screw 29, the tension between the ca'rbon buttons can be` varied with great precision. As the record r moves, the stylus carrier oscillates so that the carbon buttons 15, and 16 are simultaneously moved toward or away from lthe button 18 so as to thereby vary the pressure ofthe contact and change the resistance of the circuit so that 'a current of an undulatory character is transmitted, which undulatory current sets up in the receiver It of the apparatus vibrations, which are substantially an accurate reproduction of those sounds which created the record.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing,

the' advantages of the construction and of the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have described the principle of operation of the invention, together with, the device which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative,'and

that such changes may be made when desired as are within the scope of the claims appended hereto. Having thus described the invention, what I claim is 1. A sound reproducing ap aratus comprising a plurality of relative y fixed and.

movable contacts, re ulating means for the coarse adjustment o the contacts for varying the pressure of engagement between adjacent contacts, a second regulating means for the tine adjustment of the pressure of engagement ,between adjacent contacts, a record-actuated device for producing relative movement between the'contacts, anda circuit connected with the contacts and including a-telephonic receiver. c

2. A sound reproducing apparatus consisting of a fixed contact, a palr of movable contacts bearing againstA the same, means for insulating the movable contacts from each other, a regulating device for adjusting the pressurebetween each movable and the fixed contact, record actuated means for moving the movable contacts toward and away from the ixed contact, and means for connecting the movable contacts in ya transmitting circuit. r

3. A sound reproducing apparatus com prising a xed contact, a pair of movable contacts insulated from the rst andfrom each other, a regulating means for the coarse adjustment'of the movable contacts, a second .regulating means for the fine adjustment of the movable contacts, a record-actuated device for simultaneously moving the movable contacts toward and away from the fixed contact, and means for connecting the movable contacts in a transmitting circuit.

4. In a sound reproducing apparatus, the combination of a supporting structure, a binding post electrically connected therewith, a

binding post insulated from the said struc#4 ture, a support of insulating material mounted on the said structure, a txed contact car ried by the support, apair of springs mount-b ed on the support and insulated from each by one of the springs, and means between vthe other spring and the stylus carrier for eiecting a fine adjustment of the pressure between the contacts.

.5. The combination of a supporting structure, a member of insulation mounted therein, a fixed contact carried by the said member, contact springs on the member and insulated from each other, a separate screw forregulating the tension of each spring, a

stylus carrier, and means controlled by the movement of the stylus carrier for changingV the pressure between'the contacts.

6. In a sound reproducing apparatus, the I combination of a metallic shell, an insulating support mounted therein, a fixed contact on thev support, springs mounted on the support and 'insulated from each fother, one

spring being electrically connected with the v shell, contacts on the springs'both engaging the fixed contact, adjusting screws rotatably mounted on the support and having'threaded nerflig'ag.'ement witiithe springs res ectivei)T for VIn testimony whereof VI f'liximy signature .including means for a ne adjustment of the ctlng a coarse'adjustment o the-tension 1n presence of two witnesses.

of the springs a stylus carrier connected r i with one of thesprings, and a connection b'e- WILLIS C' ELLIS' tween the stylus cax'rler and theother spring Witnesses:

I CONDE ELLIS,

pressure between adjacent contacts. W. E. KNnDLER. 

